The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-12-01


cation of the postofices meet approval Tor should
third-class Offices OF the grade of 81, 400 salary
and upwards be included in the list for rentingl,
it would add 1.072 Offices to the charge OF the
department. making altogether $50 they
are at present graded; a number to increase
gradually from year TO year. II peace and pros
government buildings containin postoffices,
and the Supervising Architect of the Treasury
advises me that IA government buildings, which
will furnish postof6ce quarters. are in process of
erection, and that special appropriations have
been made for 80 more whose construction is not
yet begun. OF the 104 in present use g. all in
the State of Maine. are fourth class Offices; 2. 1
in Maine and in Massachusetts, are of the low
est of the third-class, and / holds the George
town office. now station of the Washington
postofice. This leaves 49, of which Sc in
the first and second classes, and IL in tbs third,
out of the number of /, $50 proposed for renting,
already SO provided for; besides 76 which
will be also in buildings owned by the govern
msnt. The mum her remaining for further pro-
vision. on the plan suggested, will therefore be
l,415
1.-THE average rental of the 800 Offices now
leased is $943 GO: and of the remainder provided
by allowances. 1904. Al; and of the total OF both
sorts. as now provided for. is 1851 IA and
dou btless suitable premises can be secured for
the additional ones proposed. because of their
small requirements and location in small places.
at an average annual rental not exceeding $4OO
each. total additional cost OF S435, 800 per
year for rent. Add for heating and lighting the
estimated sum of $50 900 and the annual charge
for quarters for postof1ces will become approx
mate.y 81 ,000. 600. and increase from year to
year at the rate of 3 to per centum.
The conviction has become strong in my
mind, from the observation and experience
joyed in this place, that the government should
build its postoffices separately and solely for
postal uses; that they should be constructed
wholly by this Department and with requisite
precautions of law TO secure economy, suitable
ity and harmony of design; that they should be
built In every city or town where the magnitude
of the service warrants an independent Office,
although from time to time only. perhaps.
the surplus revenues of the service will warrant
1.-THE department should be provided with
architect and practical builder, to be chief of the
division of construction some OF whose clerks
should be skilled draughtsmen and two or
three competent inspectors be assigned to his
aid. A moderate addition to the roster OF the
department will be amply sufficient if uniformity
of desien be required and followed. With the
aid of the Supervising Architect of the Treasury,
otherwise, and subject to proper approval,
design for a postoffice should be so devised that
with modification in size only, similar buildings
NAV be built in different cities without limit of
number, and ell designed and built that
while in its first construction the fairly prospec-
tive we'll as immediate needs of each Office
shall be entirely met. great if not indefinite
enlargement will be possible without i'm pairment
of the general plan or the utility OF the portion
first constructed, when further development
growth shall recessitate such action. To this
end. well as for proper security against fire,
an ample space of ground-the relative dimen
sions of which might be prescribed by law
should be secured in the begiunIng. and jurIs-
dic,ion as well as title properly ceded to the
''The Free-deIivery Service was, during the
last fiscal year, extended to eight additional
cities which had reached the limits then required
by law of $40. 600 gross receipts 20. 900 popu-
lation. and were thus within the discretionary
consideration of the department.. These were
BIRMINGHAM IN Alabama Wichita in Kansas.
Battle Creekiu Michigan Winona in Minnesota,
j Joliet and Rock island in Illinois. Bradford in
Pennsylvania. and Rutland in Vermont. Their
addition left the total number OF places within
the privileges of this system to be 189 at the end
of the year.
'.The increase in the performances and re-
uirements of this service was in greater proper
First Assistant Postmaster general presents in
teresting statistics of the growth of the year, of
There increase in the whole number OF
pieces of mail matter handled by carriers of
IL 16 per cent, 2S5, Oh 057 pieces, the aggrs-
gate reaching 2. 234. 564. 606. the gain being In
every class of mail matter and in the following
percentages. respectively in deliveries of mail
letters. 13. ID; of mail postal cards. lab of reg
local letters 20 10; and local postal cards. 10 H.
in collection of letters 16. 15 of postal cards,
10 80 and of newspapers, IL 10. The enhanced
local of carriers will be observed with in
terest. and its effect noted in the increase of
postage receipts on local matter by 1852. GI072,
or IA SO per cent, bringing the gross TO $685.,
253 SO.
Necessarily such rising demands caused the
addition of new carriers, 400: by which
the total number al the years end became $40
This was but economical provision, g.. &c per cent
of increase for the added work, shown In the
fact that the average number of pieces handled
per rose. Notwithstanding the increase of
carriers, from 402 40 to 400 1922, 18 49, per-
centage of 4 81; more than for years previously;
and in the large increase in the excess of post
ages on local matter over the total cost of this
service amounting to $545, 625 80, 30. IS per
cent, never before eQualed since the system
on foot The number OF cities in which the
hostages on local matter exceeded the cost of this
free delivery service therein increased from |
nine teen to thirty / find significance in these |
figures corroboratory of the opinion already ex- |
pressed in another connection. that all reason |
able improvements in the local affairs and fscili-
ties of postoffices will produce more gain of reve
nue. than their cost.
The average cost per carrier fell still below
that of last year. from $3.50. 10 to 1867 81, or
S2I. 48 to each, 2 Al cent This was due to |
the larger proportion of Offices in towns which
have but two grades of carriers and to the con-
siderable mum Der of carriers In the lowest grade
by new appointments. In all particulars of cost
there has been continuing Improvement.
There should be no hesitation in providing
every city and town in the United States with
this service, whose business interests and local
conditions are such as to make it of an advantage
to its cost There can justly be
no shorter limitation One such community of
our people is equally entitled with another: and
all such are entitled by the best claim American
citizenship upon American enterprise, TO the
highest conveniences of the best postal system.
No limitation is to be justly found in the rela-
ton of local postage to the cost of this service
The aggregate of such postage exceeded the entire
cost of carrier-deliverv in the past year by |
81 OFF, sol so. and each year the excess will be |
more But 80 cities out of the 329 now in pos |
session realized this result independently, SO
that the claim of such do enjoy it is
sGuAl 10 that of the other 299 which assisted
TO maintain it. The liberal p Icy approved by
Congress is fully warranted by the finances of
the postal service, and will doubtless be gener-
,usly pursued hereafter
1.-The special delivery service does not appear
10 have com manded much increase of patronage
iurIng the year Exact reports have not been
received from other than free-delivery offices;
but by the auditors allowances of compensa
ton for deliveries and the sales of stamps, the
is afforded of about million aud
quarter of special delivery articles. The total
mber the carrier delivery Offices was 024.-
SGT. of which nearly II per cent, arrived in the
nails, and 20 per cent. were of local origin.
This certainly shows that this service is desr-
ble TO some, and not unlikely may increase
considerably. as its uses become better known.
Meantime it INN no cost, but yields small
eturn, about 500, 900 for the past year. Mes
engers earned average of $40 % monthly at